Apparatus for vaporizing oil



(No ModeL) 3 SheetS-Sheet 1.

H. GOTTRELL. APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING OIL.

Patented July 9, 1889.

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(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 2-. H. UOTTRELL. APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING OIL. Nq. 406,503. A Patented July 9, 1889.

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H. GOTTRELL.

APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING OIL. No. 406,503. Patented July 9, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'HERBERT COTTRELL, OF NEl/VARK, NEIV JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING OIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 406,503, dated July 9, 1889.

Application filed November 1, 1887. Serial No. 253,951. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT COTTRELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Vaporizing Oil, of which the following is a specification. The apparatus referred to herein is intended convenientdistance below the generator, and l the liquid is drawn into the same only as required for the operations of the machine. To effect these objects, the generator is formed as a chamber having a contiguous receptacle supplied-alternately with hot and cold liquid through a valve or valves shifted automatically by the movement of a gas-reservoir connected with the generator. The apparatus is provided, as in many other machines, with an inspirator for mingling air with the vaporized liquid; but my present invention relates particularly to the means for vaporizing the liquid and for supplying the vaporizing-chamber intermittently with a supply of liquid. Witha reservoir located belowthe generator it is obviously necessary to prime or charge the generator with a supply of liquid to start the machine, and a pump is shown in the drawings for such purpose; but by my construction the use of a pump may be dispensed with after the machine is set in operation, as by stopping the machine with a supply of liquid in the generator it maybe continuously actuated without using any pump whatever.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the machine viewing the edge of the receiver and the face of the inspirator inlet-valve. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same, taken in section on line a: at in Fig. '1, the standard with the gas-receiver being removed by such section. Fig. 3 is a section of the generatorjacket supply-valve on line a; as in Fig. 2, but on a larger scale. Fig. 4 is a central longitudin al section of the generator and the valvebox attached to its suction-pipe. Fig. 5 is a plan of the distributor for the generatorjacket.

The drawings represent the apparatus constructed with two pedestals P one of which sustains the receiver E and the other the in spirator D, while the generator Ais sustained of the jacket byrods R, extended through flanges j, formed upon the stufli11g-boxes,and

through the flanges of the glands M. Nuts 41 are applied to the ends of the rods to hold the casing and stuffing-boxes securely together, and provision is made for the longitudinal expansion ofthe jacket by inserting springs S between the flanges j, and nuts N, applied upon the rods inside one of the glands. The jacket is provided with an inlet-pipe m and outlet-pipe y, the latter bein preferably connected with an open waste-pipe and operating to continuously drain the jacket of its contents. ply-valve m, the latter having two inlet pipes or passages n and o, and the valve is 0011- structed with ports at and 0, to alternately connect such pipes or passages with the pipe m. A tilt-lever G, consisting in an iron tube closed at the ends, with a charge of mercury inside, is supported upon a rock-shaft r and connected by a link q with a crank 19 to op erate the valve 0%.

The hydrocarbon vapor formed in the generator passes from the top of the generator through a check-valve V, and thence into pipe' h, communicating with the nozzle R of the inspirator. The body of the-inspirator is formed of hourglass shape, with chamber T The pipe m is provided with a sup ICO above and chamber W below the waist, the

latter connecting with a pipe P and checkvalve F, which delivers the mixed air and vapor to the receiver E. The chamber T communicates, through a passage U in the headpiece, with a casting B,having a flexible flapvalve fitted therein over a hole, to which the air has free access. The receiver is formed of a dish-shaped or concave casting having a flexible diaphragm 'v attached to its periphery and clamped about its middle by circular collars u. The collars are provided with arms and with hubs, to which latter is attached a guide-rod x, the inner end of which slides in an axial socket N, while the outer end is pivoted to a bent lever t, for actuating the tilt- V lever G. A weightJ is ajflxed to the free end of the bent lever z", and a gas-pipe H is atas is common with such mechanism.

The valve-box L contains two check-valves a and Z), between which is connected the bore d of the pump-barrel c, and a plunger I, fitted to the pump, furnishes the means of drawing the hydrocarbon fluid through pipe P and discharging it through pipe f into the lower part of the generator. In operating the machine such pump, if used, would be operated by hand, or the receiver charged with an initial supply of hydrocarbon fluid in any convenient manner.

The operation of the apparatus thus charged is as follows: The pipes or and 0 are connected with suitable supplies of hot and cold fluid as steam, water, or airand the valve m is turned to admit the heated fluid to the jacket 1'. Such heated fluid, when introduced by the pipe m, flows first into a conical distributer is, which is shown in Figs. 4 and 5, formed of thin metal and clamped by a flange at its larger end between the jacket t and the stuff ing-box N. The heating-fluid is discharged from the distributor through notches Z adjacent to the shell of the generator G, such notches being formed all around the distributer to throw the heatingor cooling fluid into contact with all parts of the shell. The heat applied to the generator vaporizes the liquid which passes through the check-valve V into the nozzle of the inspirator, the opening of which is regulated by a valve-rod Q. With the valve properly adjusted, the vapor operates to draw a current of air through the inletaperture Y, and the delivered air and vapor then pass through the check-valve F to the receiverE and delivery-pipe h. The pressure of the vapor operates to expand the diaphragm o of the receiver and to lift the weight J by moving the bent lever 2i, thus holding the valve m in the desired position to supply the hot fluid to the jacket o'so long as the generation of vapor exceeds-the consumption or draft upon the delivery-pipe h. hen the pressure of thevapor falls below the desired limit, the diaphragm o is pressed inward by the operation of the weight J, and the link .9 i'nen operates gradually to shift the tilt-lever G and valve m until the tilt-lever passes a horizontal position, when the mercury within its tube immediately shifts to the opposite end of the tilt-lever and turns the valve m into a suitable position to admit cold fluid to the jacket of the generator. Such cold fluid rapidly condenses the vapor in the generator, producing a sufficient vacuum therein to draw the hydrocarbon liquid from its reservoir, the current of cold fluid passinginto the pipe m and from the pipe y until the discharge of vapor from the receiver, under the pressure of the weight J, shifts the bent lever to reverse the position of the tilt-lever and admit the hot fluid through the valve m. The hot fluid would then flow again into the jacket and operate to vaporize the liquid therein as before, such vaporization continuing until the pressure in the receiver again lifted the weight J and shifted the tiltlever to admit the cooling-fluid to the jacket. If the draft upon the machine were about equal to its normal capacity, the supply of hydrocarbon liquid would thus be intermittently drawn into the generator and vaporized at the desired rate; but if the demand upon the machine should cease the generation of vapor would continue until the increase of pressure in the receiver operated to raise the weight J and turn the valve m to introduce the cooling-fluid to the jacket 2'. With the construction shown the cooling-fluid would then circulate continuously through the jacket,"

in the generator when the pressure is produced therein by the application of heat to the surrounding jacket, while such valve freely opens when the vacuum is formed in the generator to admit the hydrocarbon liquid from the pipe P to the generator.

It is common to use an expansion gas-receiver in connection with machines for vaporizing hydrocarbon liquid, and to actuate a valve in such a machine by suitable connection with some moving part of the expansion receiver. It is also common to use an inspira- :tor for mingling air with the hydrocarbon vapor, and I do not therefore claim the mere union of an inspirator and gas-receiver with a generator.

Myinvention differs from others of its class in having the generator provided with a 0011- tiguous jacket or receptacleadapted to retain hot or cold fluid in contact with the generator connected by suitable valves with supplies is to retain the hot or cold fluid in contact with the generatoigso as to vaporize or chill its contents in the desired manner, and such function may be performed bymany other constructions. Thus a coil-of steam-pipe is often inserted in a tank of water to heat the surrounding fluid, and a coil of cold-water pipe is inserted in a vessel to chill the exhaust-steam discharged into such vessel from an engine-cylinder. In such cases the ,coil serves as the receptacle to retain the hot or cold fluid, and its contents operate upon 'the contents of the contiguous vessel the same as a steam-jacket or cold-water jacket would do if applied to the periphery of the same.

The jacket shown in the drawings does not extend from one end to the other of the generator; but it is obviously immaterial how the jacket be constructed, provided it retains the hot or cold fluid in contact with the generator, so as to vaporize or chill its contents in the desired manner, and it is therefore immaterial whether the receptacle for the hot or cold fluid be applied to the ends of the gen-v erator instead of its periphery, or whether it be formed as a coil and inserted within the generator, as its function would be the same whatever its construction. I have, however, claim ed my own particular construction of the receptacle for hot and cold fluid, as it ispar ticularly adapted, by the use of the stufiingboxes and springs S, to compensate for the expansion and contraction which result from its constant changes in temperature.

It is obviously immaterial what form of gasreceiver be used, provided it has a movable part connected with the valve m or its equivalent, and it would also be immaterialwhether such receiver performed any function besides theshifting of the valves for introducing the hot and cold fluid to the generator-jacket, except that it is desirable to make the gas-receiver a reservoir to supply the vapor for consumption while the valves are being shifted to change the current of fluid'into the jacket 6. With the form of gas-receiver shown the diaphragm '0 would be pressed only partly inward when the valve m was shifted, and would continue, under the influence of the weight J, to move into the concave casting E and to supply the vapor for consumption, While the temperature of the generator is changed and the hydrocarbon liquid drawn into it and again heated to renew the vaporization.

In Fig. 3 the jacket supply-valve m is shown with passages n and 0 at its opposite ends connecting with the pipes 71 and o, and such passages wouldbe so arranged in the plug of the valve as to alternately open one of such pipes and connect it with the pipe m,- but such passages operate in any case the same as separate valves applied to the pipes n and 0 and operated by the link (1 or any other suit.- able means connected with the movable part of the gas-receiver. I have therefore regarded the two passages as separate valves, and so claimed them herein.

If desired, the jacket may be formed about the generator by other means than that shown herein; but I prefer the construction shown, with the stuffing-boxes at opposite ends, as it afiords a convenient means for introducing the distributor 7c and for compensating for the variations in the expansion of the generator and the jacket. p

I am fully aware that a water-jacket has been placed around a generator and a flame applied to such jacket to heat. the water, the object of the water-jacket being merely to limit the temperature of the generator. I do not therefore claim as new the application ofa water-jacket to a generator.

From my above description the function of my jacket is not at all to prevent the overheating of the generator, but to furnish a means of retaining hot and cold fluid alternately in contact with the generator, so that the latter may operate alternately as a vaporizer and a condenser, and may thus intermittently produce a vacuum to draw the hydrocarbon fluid intermittently from the reservoir.

By the alternate heating and cooling of the reservoir I make the apparatus self-feeding and render its operation continuous with more certainty than by the use of any mechanical device external to the generator to feed the fluid intermittently into the latter.

Having thus set forth myinventiomwhat I claim is 1. In a hydrocarbon-vaporizing apparatus, the combination, with the generator, of a contiguous receptacle for retaining hotand cold fluid in contact with the generator, pipes for supplying hot and, cold fluid to the said receptacle, valves with passages foralternately connecting such pipes with the receptacle, and a gas-receiver with a movable part arranged and operated to shift such valves, as and for the purpose set forth. 1

2. In a hydrocarbon-vaporizing apparatus, the combination, with the. generator, of acoutiguous receptacle for retaining hot and cold fluid in contact with the generator, pipes for supplying hot and cold fluid to the said receptacle, a gas-receiver with a movable part arranged 'and operated to shift such valves, and an open discharge-pipe from the receptacle, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In ahydrocarbon-vaporizing apparatus, the combination, with a cylindrical generator, of a receptacle for hot and cold fluid surrounding the same, a distributer inserted in the receptacle with notches adjacent to the shell of the generator, a discharge-pipe from such receptacle, and pipes for supplying hot and cold fluid to such receptacle, as and for the purpose set forth.

at. In a hydrocarbon-vaporizing apparatus, the combination, With a cylindrical generator g, of the cylindrical receptacle isurrounding a portion of the same, stuffing-boxes applied to the ends of the generator and clamped upon the ends of the receptacle, and pipes for supplying hot and cold fluid to the receptacle, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a hydrocarbon-vaporizing apparatus, the combination, with a cylindrical generator 9, of the cylindrical receptacle i, surrounding a portion of the same, stuffing-boxes M, applied to the generator, with flanges j, grooved to fit the ends of the'receptacle 1 glands M, fitted to the stuffing-boxes, rods R, with nuts applied to the flanges of the glands, and springs S, applied to the rods to press the flanges j elastically together upon the receptacle '6, and pipes to supply hot and cold .fluid to the receptacle, as and for the purpose set forth.

the apparatus, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my inventionI have signed my name in presence of tWo witnesses.

HERBERT COTTRELL.

Witnesses:

W. H. TUCKER, H. O. OoNDIT. 

